Sidney's Dilema

Into each feline's life, a little rain must fall. In my housemate's Sidney's existance, it was quite a deluge! I was busy grooming my tail when I heard his voice. His meows were addressed to none other that the esteemed Raymond Hazelwitz, rodent activist. I peered out of the kitchen window at these two creatures. Raymond's face and high pitched chatter reflected his concern over Sidney's plaintive meows and drooping whiskers.

"And then the cat doctor did terrible things to me, Raymond. He stuck me with needles and took lots and lots of blood from me! I became faint and almost fell off the table onto the floor. The pain was horrible." Sidney whimpered and covered his eyes with a paw.

"You poor, poor kitty!" gushed Raymond gently stroking the toes of Sidney's left paw. "And then what happened?" (I had never heard Raymond gush before, so this was first for me.

Sidney shrugged. "My persons put me back in the carrier and took me home." He began to sob again. "Two days later my persons began to stick me every morning and every evening before my dinner."

"My! That does sound awful, Sidney. You must be a very brave cat to put up with something that painful! I am going to report those persons to the authorities! I have connections, you know! I will have them dragged away in chains!" Raymond stood straight up on his tip tops, his paws on his hips, fire burning in his dark brown eyes. His tail twitched back and forth."

Sidney meowed softly. "Well, I wouldn't have them dragged away in chains exactly......I could use some fresh catnip and a few more cat treats after every brutal stabbing.."

"I wonder why two humans would find so much pleasure in stabbing a kitty cat such as yourself in the butt every morning and night? You would think they could find something more fascinating to do with their time. Is there something you're not mentioning, Sidney?" Raymond moved closer to Sidney, baring those very white, very sharp teeth.

I moved swiftly to the refrigerator, grabbed the small vial, then, with my teeth grabbed an unopened bag of tiny syringes. With my hind feet I pried the kitchen window open. "Sidney," I growled, "has Type Two, Adult Onset Feline Diabetes! He requires two shots a day with this." I held up the packet of syringes and the bottle of insulin. "Without the insulin and shots, he would be a very sick kitty indeed!"

Raymond shook his head. "I should have known that cat would be up to something. He does have a habit of elaborating on the truth."

Sidney puffed up his chest and smoothed his whiskers with a paw, adding a little cat spit for gloss. "You should know, Raymond Hazelwitz, that only superior cats, like myself, acquire a condition such as Adult Onset Feline Diabetes. I am of royal birth and that is one of the terrible prices we must pay for our nobility. I gladly suffer so that others of my kind may reap the results of my pain..." He raised the back of his paw to his brow, eyes gazing up toward the sky.

Raymond growled. "Kitty, you had better hurry into the house and hide where I cannot find you or I will take that bag of syringes and stick every one of them in your furry butt!"

"Bye," purred Sidney, scampering toward the door. "See ya.."

Raymond scampered up onto the window sill. "How have you managed to control your temper with that animal, Pussycat?"

"He provides comedy relief in times of stress, Raymond. And the name is Henri, Henri of Twin Brook." I reminded him...

The End

Sidney, the patient

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And thanks to all the cats who offered their feline advice in dealing with Sidney's medical problems.